The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-31
NOT A SOUL SAVED.
rHE LOSS OF THE VERNON ON LAKE
MICHIGAN.
The Terrible Story Told by the Captain
OF Vessel Powerless 10 Aid the
Shipwrecked - Drowning of Thirty
Persons.

MILWAUKEE, WIS, Oct 3O.-lhc pas
senger propeller Vernon was wrecked in
the terrible gale that swept Lake Michigan
yesterday, and her entire crew Of twenty
two persons and the passengers, number
unknown, are supposed to have been lost.
II involves greater loss of life than any
Of the previous disasters on the lake this
season, not excepting the propeller Cham
plain which burned early in the
spring off Charlevoix, drowning twenty
four persons. A mostsingular coincidence is
that the Vernon was the vessel which took
the place of the Champlain in the North
ern Michigan line, and had only been on
the line since August l. She was one of
the finest furnished passenger boats on the
lakes, and had valuation Of $4,000.
Capt. Moran, of the steamship Superior,
which arrived here at $50 O'Clock last
night, brought the first news Of the wreck
ITO pass one man on raft appealing
for our help, another dying from exposure,
and small boat in which We could see
one woman and three men, one OF the lat
ter hailing with a coat stuck upon his oar,
oil being tossed about in n terrible sea,
without our being able to render them any
assistance, was heart rending in the ex-
trcme," said Capt. Moran. I'VE were
also fighting for our lives, our steamer hay
ing become disabled in the sea. With the
exception Of the cooks our entire crew OF
sixteen men, even 10 the engineer, were
down below, some of them steering the
vessel with a temporary Tickle which we
had rugged up, while the others were try
ing 10 repair the break. Our tillcr had
become disconnected from the ridder post,
leaving US at the mercy Of the sea until
we managed TO rig up temporary tackle.
With this We managed 10 keep our vessel
out OF the trough Of the seas and keep her
before the gale. Ii WIS three hours before
We had made repairs so that we could
handle ourselves. and then We were out
OF sight Of the shipwrcckcd men. The
cooks on deck were the first to call our
attention 10 tho wreCkage. IL was about
10 o'clock this morning. when oil Two
Rivers, some miles out in Lake Michi-
gan, that We passed through some lumber
Five miles further on We passed loi OF
barrels and then encountered wreckage for
some distance. Among il vas furniture
and bed clothing, besides life ppseryes
lltIt hHil llifffs bllt fhNh n.llal llt thlllltil
thirteen life prcscrycrs, and know that il
must have been passenger boat TO carry
so many. We passed 50 near some Of the
life prcscTycrS that they might have been
picked up had the cooks used pike pole
was only on deck part Of the time and no
others Of the crew came up, ~ they had all
they could do where they WERE
"WhCn about six miles east northeast Of
a 1. a. A. 4 L
ing lookout, called me ON deck, with the
information that NIT could bc seen with
man on IT, As went un deck | could
plainly see the man waving his hand to
us. He was standing upright on the raft,
which was about half mile between MS
and the shore, and the SEA WAS washing
over IT, IL appeared about twelve
feet square and AZ II IL might he the
top Of q cabin. Poor fellow, he must
have thought il cruel Of Us to pass by and
leave him ther TO suffer. Ten minutes
later NC sighted another RIFT, also about
half n mile inside OF Us. IL was much
smaller. apparently not mon than four Ivy
eight feet, and looked like piccc Of bull
wark. On IL was lying u man who, al
though still alive, did not discern Ms, es he
was too far gone We could SIC him dip
his head, ~ his fr.i little float WIS tossed
about in the sea, as though lac was about
dead.
ave saw n yaw with three men and
one woman IN IL n little further south.
There may, however, have been more oi
them lying down In the boat, the three We
saw being on the seats. One OF the men
WIS standing mp holding his oar with his
Goa; swinging 10 attract attcniion. Their
hearts must have been gladdcncd In their
expectation u help from u.s. How they
must have thought Of us when We passed
them by, and within mile, too, without
even turning our vessel toward them
But with our steering gear disabled
a. Il was we could not stop our vessel, and
there was nothing tot ns 10 do but hope
that some one Of the vessels coming up the
lake aslern OF us might discover them and
pick them up. There is possibility that
large schooner, coming up the lake aftei
us, may have picked mp the persons IL
the boat. She was three or four mile,
asieru Of MS, and ! could Scc through the
glass that she was heading toward them
But she may have been bounl
for Manitowoc, and could have passeC
without seeing them. There was it'll,
possibility that she could have taken thl
men of the raft, and Il " even doubtful !
she could pick up the yawl in such a sea
II she could get close enough 10 throw
them a line Us she suddenly went by, an,
they held onto Il, there might he u chano
Tor them 20 be saved II WIS ~ heavy
sea rs | have experienced In all my life OF
the lake. Just 10 give YOU an idea Of Il
the Sandusky, which We had In tow, some
times buried herself 30 that only half a
her masis could bc sccn. Once she stage,
under ~ long that thought she WIS gone
We will make repairs here and 60 on 3
Chicago"